Regional and state unemployment rates were little changed in June. Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rate increases, 8 states recorded rate decreases, and 14 states had no rate change, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Thirty-nine states posted unemployment rate decreases from a year earlier, eight states and the District of Columbia reported increases, and three states had no change. The national jobless rate was little changed at 9.2 percent, but was 0.3 percentage point lower than a year earlier.

In June, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 26 states and the District of Columbia and decreased in 24 states. The largest over-the month increase in employment occurred in Texas (+32,000), followed by California (+28,800), Michigan (+18,000), and Minnesota (+13,200). Alaska experienced the largest over-the-month percentage increase in employment (+1.7 percent), followed by North Dakota (+1.2 percent), Vermont (+0.9 percent), and South Dakota (+0.8 percent). The largest over-the-month decrease in employment occurred in Tennessee (-16,900), followed by Missouri (-15,700), Virginia (-14,600), and North Carolina (-9,500). Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee experienced the largest over-the-month percentage declines in employment (-0.6 percent each), followed by Idaho and Virginia (-0.4 percent each). Over the year, nonfarm employment increased in 40 states and decreased in 10 states and the District of Columbia. The largest over-the-year percentage increase occurred in North Dakota (+4.9 percent), followed by Texas and Vermont (+2.1 percent each) and Wyoming (+2.0 percent). The largest over-the-year percent decreases in employment occurred in Kansas and Maryland (-0.6 percent each), followed by Delaware and Georgia (-0.5 percent each).

Regional Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

The West had the highest regional unemployment rate in June, 10.4 percent, while the Northeast had the lowest rate, 8.1 percent. Over the month, two regions experienced statistically significant jobless rate changes: the Midwest (+0.2 percentage point) and South (+0.1 point). Three of the regions registered significant rate changes from a year earlier: the Midwest (-1.1 percentage points) and Northeast and West (-0.6 point each).

Among the nine geographic divisions, the Pacific continued to have the highest jobless rate, 11.0 percent in June. The West North Central again registered the lowest rate, 6.8 percent. Over the month, two divisions experienced statistically significant unemployment rate changes: the East North Central (+0.2 percentage point) and South Atlantic (+0.1 point). Over the year, five divisions posted significant rate changes, all of which were decreases. The largest decrease was in the East North Central (-1.5 percentage points).

State Unemployment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Nevada continued to register the highest unemployment rate among the states, 12.4 percent in June. California had the next highest rate, 11.8 percent. North Dakota reported the lowest jobless rate, 3.2 percent, followed by Nebraska, 4.1 percent, and South Dakota, 4.8 percent. In total, 26 states posted jobless rates significantly lower than the U.S. figure of 9.2 percent, 6 states and the District of Columbia recorded measurably higher rates, and 18 states had rates that were not appreciably different from that of the nation.

Nine states reported statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increases in June. South Carolina experienced the largest increase (+0.5 percentage point), followed by Alabama, Arkansas, and Illinois (+0.3 point each) and Maryland, Montana, North Carolina, Texas, and Wisconsin (+0.2 point each). The District of Columbia also experienced a significant over-the-month rate increase (+0.6 percentage point). The remaining 41 states registered jobless rates that were not measurably different from those of a month earlier, though some had changes that were at least as large numerically as the significant changes.

Nevada recorded the largest jobless rate decrease from June 2010 (-2.5 percentage points). Two other states had rate decreases of at least 2.0 percentage points--Michigan (-2.1 points) and Indiana (-2.0 points). Eleven additional states had smaller but also statistically significant decreases over the year. The remaining 36 states and the District of Columbia registered unemployment rates that were not appreciably different from those of a year earlier.

Nonfarm Payroll Employment (Seasonally Adjusted)

Over the month, 16 states recorded statistically significant changes in employment. The four states reporting the largest over-the-month statistically significant job gains were Texas (+32,000), California (+28,800), Michigan (+18,000), and Minnesota (+13,200). Over-the-month statistically significant declines in employment occurred in Tennessee (-16,900), Missouri (-15,700), Virginia (-14,600), and Kansas (-7,500).

Over the year, 18 states experienced statistically significant changes in employment, all of which were increases. The largest increase occurred in Texas (+220,000), followed by California (+157,000), Ohio (+72,400), and Illinois (+59,000).